Crossing Generational Divides: Experiences of New Faculty in Higher Education

Abstract

The authors present a synthesis and interpretation of trends visible in data from surveys and faculty commentaries regarding pre-tenure stress factors. The findings suggest that some of the pre-tenure stress new faculty report is related to flux in "what the world needs" and to contradictions between traditionally rewarded behaviors and those required to achieve greater diversity, relevance, and engagement in the academy. Three general areas in which these tensions surface are described, along with suggestions for institutional action.